5 Real-World Examples of Employee Experience That Actually Work

For HR leaders, employee experience is a key driver of retention, engagement, and performance. But turning ideas like trust, flexibility, or recognition into real outcomes takes structure, consistency, and a clear understanding of what works.

This article highlights real-world examples from companies that do it well. UnitedHealth Group, Slack, Zappos, and others show how core EX principles can come to life through thoughtful, lasting strategies.

All these examples demonstrate deliberate efforts to shape how employees feel, contribute, and grow.  So, if you are looking to improve employee experience in ways that matter, these examples will give you a practical place to start.

Key Takeaways

• Employee experience is a strategic driver of engagement, retention, and performance
• The best examples are rooted in trust, flexibility, equity, and a sense of belonging.
• Companies like Salesforce, Adobe, and Slack build EX through clear policies and consistent action.
• Employee experience is not built on perks; it is designed through systems that respect how people work and live.
• Tools like Udext can help streamline communication and reinforce these experiences at scale.

Examples of Employee Experience That Actually Work

The companies below are not just investing in employee experience; they are doing it with intent, strategy, and long-term commitment. 

1. UnitedHealth Group: Building Trust and Inclusion

Trust doesn’t happen through values statements or posters in the break room. It takes consistent, visible action that reinforces a sense of belonging.

UnitedHealth Group builds trust by embedding equity into its daily culture. Their employee resource groups (ERGs) are open to all team members and create safe, peer-led spaces for networking, mentoring, and identity-centered support. 

They also spotlight stories from underrepresented employees and encourage open dialogue with leadership. These spaces are designed to amplify diverse voices and offer personalized support, whether someone is early in their career or leading a team.

Trust in this case is not aspirational. It is operational. It shows up in how people are heard, seen, and supported every day.

2. Mindbody: Protecting Work-Life Balance

At Mindbody, wellness is part of the work culture. One of their most notable initiatives is a company-wide wellness day each month, offering employees a paid day off to disconnect and reset fully. 

Employees are encouraged to pursue personal creative interests and take time for themselves without guilt. You’ll find frequent mentions of strong work-life balance in Glassdoor and Indeed reviews, with team members highlighting flexible PTO and genuine leadership support.

• Monthly wellness days are built into the calendar..
• Flexibility for employees to recharge and prevent burnout.
• Leadership that models healthy boundaries.

This kind of consistent support sends a message that the employee is built into the business.

3. Slack: Creating a Culture of Trust

Slack’s approach to employee experience centers on psychological safety and autonomy.

Their Future of Work Research found that employees who feel trusted are significantly more likely to be productive and satisfied. That data has helped guide Slack’s internal policies.

Trust is reinforced through transparent communication, flexible expectations, and permission to speak openly. Managers are trained to lead with empathy, while teams are given the space to choose how they operate.

Slack’s culture shows that when trust is practiced at every level, it becomes the foundation for stronger performance and deeper engagement.

4. Salesforce: Flexible by Design

Salesforce built its employee experience strategy around the principle of choice. 

Their Success from Anywhere model encourages teams to decide how they work best, whether in person, remote, or hybrid. There are no one-size-fits-all mandates.

In addition to flexibility, Salesforce strengthens EX through digital communities and employee resource groups. 

This ensures that people feel connected even when working across time zones or locations.

• Team-based decisions on where and how work happens.
• Support for digital belonging through employee-led groups.
• High engagement scores tied to autonomy and trust.

When flexibility is combined with intentional connection, employees are more likely to feel in control and committed.

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5. Adobe: Investing in Equity and Belonging

Adobe’s Equity and Advancement Initiative commits $30 million to nonprofit partnerships, employee communities, and internal belonging programs. It’s a long-term investment in both social impact and employee engagement.

The company pairs this with support for global employee networks and structured volunteer programs. Adobe integrates inclusion across teams and reinforces it through action.

Employees are given room to lead initiatives and shape their environment. 

That shared ownership helps create a culture where belonging is not just a value, but a lived experience.

Conclusion

Great employee experience doesn’t come from perks alone. It’s shaped by consistent signals. That could be by giving employees control over how they work, investing in equity and belonging, or simply creating space for trust and feedback to grow.

Across these five companies, a common thread emerges: the most impactful experiences are the ones grounded in action. 

They’re not top-down mandates or short-term campaigns. They’re built into how teams operate day to day.

If you’re exploring ways to improve your own employee experience, start with what’s already working. Look at where clarity, trust, and flexibility intersect. 

And if you need help simplifying how you connect with your people, platforms like Udext are designed to make that easier, especially for teams that don’t sit behind desks.

Ready to make communication a meaningful part of your employee experience strategy?

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FAQ

1. What is employee experience?
Employee experience refers to how workers perceive every interaction with their organization, from recruitment to exit. It encompasses culture, communication, physical environment, and technology to shape how employees feel and perform.

2. How is employee experience different from employee engagement?
Employee experience focuses on the entire journey and touchpoints, while engagement reflects how emotionally invested employees are in their work. A strong experience creates the conditions for deeper engagement.

3. Why is employee experience essential for retention and productivity?
Employees who feel supported through trust, flexibility, recognition, and equity are more likely to stay, perform better, and positively influence company outcomes because experience directly impacts morale and motivation.

4. What are some real-world examples of excellent employee experience?
Companies like UnitedHealth Group, Adobe, Salesforce, Slack, and Mindbody demonstrate tangible EX efforts such as employee resource groups, wellness days, mentorship, equity investments, and flexible work models that drive connection and retention.

5. How can HR leaders build a more substantial employee experience using technology?
Start by listening to feedback at key lifecycle stages and designing programs accordingly. Use platforms like Udext to streamline communication, recognition, and feedback across mobile or frontline teams.